What function to splitters serve?

[DaveInLA]

Personally, I think they look cool. I also know that lots of high performance cars have them for aerodynamic purposes, but most people probably dont' get them for that reason.

Anyway, does a splitter protect the front lip spoiler? Say, if you hit a dip too hard, does the splitter take the brunt of the impact and save the spoiler?

[e30sd]

for almost everyone on this forum, it's either looks or protecting the i lip.

if you develop an integrated undertray (like the e30 m3), you will however see some aerodynamic advantages.

http://www.e30m3performance.com/myths/splitter/splitter.htm

[DaveInLA]

for almost everyone on this forum, it's either looks or protecting the i lip.

Okay, so it does protect the lip then? How much protection does it serve?

[Sean]

for almost everyone on this forum, it's either looks or protecting the i lip.

Okay, so it does protect the lip then? How much protection does it serve?

It pretty much protects the lip from getting all scratched up if you happen to scrap going up a driveway or something.

If you smash your front lip into a curb, the splitter could help hold the lip together, but most of the time will just fall of with the lip.

[Teaguer]

If you smash your front lip into a curb, the splitter could help hold the lip together, but most of the time will just fall of with the lip.

True story .





Although in this case it was a loose tire on the freeway .
Check out the hickey underneath :


:D

[M3 Ryan]

They look awesome, and protect your paint. If you reinforce the lip to the car at the ends with extra screws or zip-ties you greatly reduce the chance of the lip getting ripped off.
If you ever want one, I sell them. See my thread in the FS section.

[Surge]

Creates a bit of downforce - But I'm fairly confident that almost everyone just puts them on for aesthetic benefits ;)
I'm going to be making a metal 'skid plate' that extends a few cm out the front of my bumper, I don't want the underside being ripped up when I go over something thus killing the paint which eventually peels up to the front side leaving god aweful patches of white plastic.

[SA E30]

for almost everyone on this forum, it's either looks or protecting the i lip.

if you develop an integrated undertray (like the e30 m3), you will however see some aerodynamic advantages.

http://www.e30m3performance.com/myth...r/splitter.htm

An the South African 325iS Evo2 :D

[RedBaron86325]

They look really cool until you run over it in triple digits. Thanks Bryson.

[DarkWing6]

I remember Jordan saying something about his splitter causing the front end to drop about 1/4" @ like 80mph or it was something like that.

[PeterCip]

I remember Jordan saying something about his splitter causing the front end to drop about 1/4" @ like 80mph or it was something like that.

How exactly does one measure [said drop] without the use of a windtunnel?

[DarkWing6]

I remember Jordan saying something about his splitter causing the front end to drop about 1/4" @ like 80mph or it was something like that.

How exactly does one measure [said drop] without the use of a windtunnel?

He has a picture of himself and his car at rest in the front the tire sits 1/4" below the wheel well and in the picture the tire is beginning to tuck into the well. So it is a ballpark figure , but somewhat accurate.

[nando]

I don't think the splitter protects anything. as far as I could tell it only made my lip stick out more making it more likely to break on something. notice I have no splitter on my current spoiler. ;)

when I had my is lip/splitter, there was no need to bolt it down either, I just used my factory clips. it just didn't generate enough downforce to break it off like everyone says they will. oh, is lips are also flimsy as hell, so you'd need something pretty beefy if you wanted any real aerodynamic effects.

[Bryson]

They look really cool until you run over it in triple digits. Thanks Bryson.

anytime Bill ;)
We weren't sure if it would hold on an 'i' lip, give me some credit

rieger and is lips have held them to 140....

[DaveInLA]

...I don't want the underside being ripped up when I go over something thus killing the paint which eventually peels up to the front side leaving god aweful patches of white plastic.

Ah, didn't even consider that! If your car is black like mine, you'll have ugly white shining thru after the black paint is scraped off. Nasty!